Containment system for hazardous or other materials

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a floor having an impermeable material, where the floor has multiple edge portions and each edge portion corresponds to one edge of the floor. The apparatus also includes multiple wall sections configured to form multiple free-standing walls around a perimeter of the floor, where each of the multiple walls corresponds to one of the edge portions. The apparatus further includes multiple brackets, where each bracket is configured to fit over one of the multiple walls after the corresponding edge portion of the floor is draped over the wall. Each bracket is configured to fit against sides of the wall so as to hold the corresponding edge portion in place.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is generally directed to containment systems. Morespecifically, this disclosure is directed to a containment system forhazardous or other materials.

BACKGROUND

Often times, it is necessary or desirable to prevent material from beingreleased or absorbed into the ground. For example, the release ofhazardous or other materials into the ground could contaminate groundwater or cause other problems. As a particular example, hazardous orother materials are often stored in tanks, shipping containers, or otherstorage containers. Any spills or leaks of materials from the tanks orcontainers could lead to contamination as well as civil or regulatoryfines.

SUMMARY

This disclosure provides a containment system for hazardous or othermaterials.

In a first embodiment, an apparatus includes a floor having animpermeable material, where the floor has multiple edge portions andeach edge portion corresponds to one edge of the floor. The apparatusalso includes multiple wall sections configured to form multiplefree-standing walls around a perimeter of the floor, where each of themultiple walls corresponds to one of the edge portions. The apparatusfurther includes multiple brackets, where each bracket is configured tofit over one of the multiple walls after the corresponding edge portionof the floor is draped over the wall. Each bracket is configured to fitagainst sides of the wall so as to hold the corresponding edge portionin place.

In a second embodiment, a method includes forming a floor having animpermeable material, where the floor has multiple edge portions andeach edge portion corresponds to one edge of the floor. The method alsoincludes forming multiple free-standing walls around a perimeter of thefloor using multiple wall sections, where each of the multiple wallscorresponds to one of the edge portions. The method further includesforming multiple brackets, where each bracket is configured to fit overone of the multiple walls after the corresponding edge portion of thefloor is draped over the wall. Each bracket is configured to fit againstsides of the wall so as to hold the corresponding edge portion in place.

In a third embodiment, a method includes installing a floor of acontainment system at a location for storing hazardous and/ornon-hazardous materials, the floor comprising an impermeable material,the floor having multiple edge portions. The method also includesassembling multiple free-standing walls of the containment system arounda perimeter of the floor, each of the multiple walls corresponding toone of the edge portions. The method further includes draping the edgeportions over the corresponding walls and installing multiple bracketsover the walls, each bracket configured to fit against sides of one ofthe walls so as to hold the corresponding edge portion in place. Themethod also includes placing one or more containers of the hazardousand/or non-hazardous materials within the containment system and overthe floor. In addition, the method includes assembling a remaining wallof the containment system.

Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in theart from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is nowmade to the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate an example containment system in accordancewith this disclosure;

FIGS. 6 through 13 illustrate portions of the containment system invarious stages of manufacture in accordance with this disclosure; and

FIG. 14 illustrates an example method for forming a containment systemin accordance with this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 14, discussed below, and the various embodiments used todescribe the principles of the present invention in this patent documentare by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any wayto limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that the principles of the invention may be implemented inany type of suitably arranged device or system.

FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate an example containment system 100 inaccordance with this disclosure. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates thecontainment system 100 in a completed (installed) state, and FIGS. 2through 5 illustrate further details of the containment system 100during an installation process. In FIG. 1, the containment system 100 isin a completed form and provides containment space for multipleinstances of containers 102. In FIGS. 2 through 5, the containmentsystem 100 is in various stages of completion.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the containment system 100 includes abottom portion or floor 104 and free-standing walls 106 a-106 d. Thecontainment system 100 operates to contain and hold material between thewalls 106 a-106 d and over the floor 104, thereby helping to prevent thematerial from being absorbed into the ground. The material couldrepresent hazardous material or other material that leaks or isotherwise discharged from one or more of the containers 102. The size ofthe floor 104 is scalable and can be selected for containment of one ormultiple containers 102. For example, in some embodiments, the floor 104could be approximately 40 feet by 60 feet. In other embodiments, thefloor 104 could have larger or smaller dimensions. Also, in someembodiments, the containment system 100 may represent a seamlessstructure formed using a liquid-impermeable or other impermeablematerial, such as polyurea or polyurea-covered fabric. In someembodiments, the polyurea or polyurea-covered fabric could be fireretardant. However, the containment system 100 could be formed from anyother suitable materials.

As shown in FIG. 2, once at its intended destination, the floor 104 ofthe containment system 100 is unfolded or unrolled and laid out on agenerally flat surface on the ground. Edge portions 108 of the floor 104are folded back onto the floor 104, adjacent to where the walls 106a-106 d will be positioned. One folded edge portion 108 can be seen ingreater detail in FIG. 3. Once the walls 106 a-106 d are in place, theedge portions 108 are draped over the walls 106 a-106 d to form animpermeable transition from the floor 104 to the walls 106 a-106 d. InFIG. 2, the back wall 106 c of the containment system 100 is already inplace and the edge portion 108 of the floor 104 has already been drapedover the back wall 106 c, while the right wall 106 b is being assembled.The left wall 106 d is hidden in FIG. 2 behind a storage container 102,and the front wall 106 a is not yet assembled in FIG. 2. The front wall106 a is assembled last as discussed in greater detail below.

Each wall 106 a-106 d is formed of one or multiple wall sections 110. InFIG. 2, some of the wall sections 110 forming the right wall 106 b arealready in position adjacent to the floor 104. In some embodiments,multiple wall sections 110 are arranged end-to-end in a straight orcurved line to form a wall 106 a-106 d. As shown in FIGS. 1 through 5,the containment system 100 is rectangular and includes four straightwalls 106 a-106 d. However, this is merely one example. In otherembodiments, the containment system 100 could be formed in other shapeswith more or fewer walls, and one or more of the walls could be curved.

Each wall section 110 is generally a rectangular prism with dimensionsthat can selected based on need. In some embodiments, for example, eachwall section 110 can be approximately twelve to eighteen inches tall,approximately twelve inches wide, and approximately eight feet long.However, each wall section 110 can have any other suitable dimensions,and different wall sections 110 may or may not have differentdimensions. Each of the wall sections 110 can be formed using one ormore materials that are selected to be lightweight but rigid and strong.In some embodiments, for instance, the wall sections 110 can be formedfrom a rigid foam encapsulated in polyurea, which is very lightweight,very strong, and easily formed to any suitable size, shape, anddimensions. In some embodiments, the polyurea could be fire retardant.

Once each wall 106 a-106 d is assembled and the edge portion 108 of thefloor 104 is folded over that wall 106 a-106 d, one or more brackets 112can be installed over each of the walls 106 a-106 d to secure the edgeportions 108 in place. FIG. 4 illustrates the containment system 100with some brackets 112 already installed on the walls 106 b and 106 dand other brackets 112 sitting on the ground waiting to be installed. Asshown in FIG. 4, each bracket 112 fits over a portion of a wall 106a-106 d, where an edge portion 108 of the floor 104 is also wrapped overthe top surface of the corresponding wall 106 a-106 d.

In this example, the brackets 112 have a cross-sectional shape thatresembles an upside-down ‘U’. The top and sides of each bracket 112 canbe formed of thin metal bars (such as rebar) that are bent into a Ushape and that can flex for easy assembly over the walls 106 a-106 d,although the brackets 112 can be formed from any other suitablematerials (e.g., aluminum or plastic) and in any other suitable manner.Further details of the bracket 112 are described below in conjunctionwith FIG. 9. The width of each bracket 112 can be selected to besubstantially the same as, slightly larger than, or slightly smallerthan the width of each wall section 110. In some embodiments, the widthof each bracket 112 is slightly smaller than the width of each wallsection 110 so that, once installed, the bracket 112 firmly grips thesides of the corresponding wall 106 a-106 d. Also, in some embodiments,the width of each bracket 112 can be slightly adjusted manually, such asby spreading or compressing the sides of the bracket 112. This can behelpful to achieve a snug fit on the wall 106 a-106 d. Metal plates orother plates at the bottom of each bracket 112 can be used to contactthe sides of the walls 106 a-106 d and provide a gripping surface.Further, the height of each bracket 112 can be selected to besubstantially the same as, slightly larger than, or slightly smallerthan the height of each wall section 110. In some embodiments, theheight of each bracket 112 can be selected to be somewhat less than theheight of each wall section 110 so that the installed bracket 112extends down the side of the wall 106 a-106 d but does not reach theground. In particular embodiments, the height of each bracket 112 isapproximately one-half to three-quarters the height of each wall section110.

As shown in FIG. 5, once three walls 106 b-106 d of the containmentsystem 100 are formed, one or more storage containers 102 or otherstructures can be placed within the containment system 100. In thisexample, one or more storage containers 102 are moved onto the floor 104of the containment system 100 using a truck, although any number ofstorage containers 102 may be placed onto the floor 104 in any suitablemanner (either using people or machinery). The one or more storagecontainers 102 here may or may not already contain material that mightleak out of the storage containers 102. The absence of the front wall106 a makes this process easier since the one or more storage containers102 do not have to be lifted over the wall 106 a. Instead, the one ormore storage containers 102 can be rolled over the flat floor 104 intoposition. Once the one or more storage containers 102 are in place, thefront wall 106 a can be constructed in the same manner as the otherwalls 106 b-106 d. The fully-assembled containment system 100 is shownin FIG. 1. Here, the containment system 100 includes a floor and wallsthat include a single continuous impermeable shield, thus providing animpermeable containment system for the material(s) stored in thecontainers 102.

Due to the modular nature of its components, the containment system 100can be easily assembled and disassembled in a short time, without theneed for complex machinery or tools. For example, the brackets 112 areeasily installed over and removed from the walls 106 a-106 d. Also, eachof the wall sections 110 and the brackets 112 can be lightweight so thatthey can be moved and manipulated by one or more people. Once assembledand in position, the containment system 100 provides an impermeablecontainment system that can remain in place for days, weeks, months, oreven years. Once disassembled, the components of the containment system100 can be easily transported to another location for assembly at thatlocation.

Although FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate one example of a containmentsystem 100, various changes may be made to FIGS. 1 through 5. Forexample, the relative sizes, shapes, and dimensions of the components ofthe containment system 100 are for illustration only. As noted above,the containment system 100 can have any suitable size and shape, and thecomponents forming the containment system 100 can have any desireddimensions. The containment system 100 could be of virtually any size aslong as there is enough space to create walls for containing materialmeant to be contained. Also, the containment system 100 may be formed inany suitable manner and need not be constructed as shown in FIGS. 1through 5. As a particular example, one or more components of thecontainment system 100 do not need to be fabricated elsewhere andtransported to a site where the containment system 100 is beingassembled. For instance, the floor 104 of the containment system 100could be fabricated at the installation site, such as by laying down oneor more pieces of fabric or other geotextile like felt and spraying thegeotextile with an impermeable material like polyurea. Also, the wallsections 110 of the containment system 100 could be cut or otherwisetrimmed at the installation site. As another particular example, thewall sections 110 for at least some of the walls 106 a-106 d could bepositioned first, and the floor 104 could then be placed within the areabetween those walls 106 a-106 d and draped over the already-positionedwall sections 110. In addition, while the use of certain materials (suchas polyurea) is described here, any other suitable materials can be usedto form the containment system 100. For instance, any suitable fabricsor other geotextiles could be used in the containment system 100 andcovered with polyurea or other liquid-impervious material(s). In someembodiments, the polyurea or polyurea-covered fabric could be fireretardant.

FIGS. 6 through 13 illustrate portions of the containment system 100 invarious stages of manufacture in accordance with this disclosure. Asshown in FIG. 6, the floor 104 is being prepared at a factory,warehouse, or other “off-site” location (meaning a location where thecontainment system 100 is not going to be installed). A desired finalsize of the containment system 100 can be identified, which includes thelength and width of the floor 104 and the height of the walls 106 a-106d. Once the height of the walls 106 a-106 d is known, the width of theedge portions 108 of the floor 104 can be determined with a high degreeof accuracy. For example, the widths of the edge portions 108 can belong enough to extend up the inside surfaces of the walls 106 a-106 d,across the tops of the walls 106 a-106 d, and down at least a portion ofthe outside surfaces of the walls 106 a-106 d. An example of this isshown in FIGS. 4 and 10.

Once the desired final size of the containment system 100 is identified,the floor 104 can be prepared according to that size. For example, thesize of the floor 104 in each of its length and width dimensions can bedetermined by adding twice the width of the edge portions 108 to thedesired length or width of the containment system 100. If the floor 104has a desired size that fits within the size of a premanufactured floor(such as when bulk fabric has already been sprayed or otherwise coatedwith an impermeable material), the floor 104 can simply be cut to adesired size. If the size of the floor 104 is wider than the bulkfabric, multiple pieces of the fabric can be placed side by side andbonded or otherwise joined together. The fabric pieces can be joinedtogether using a liquid adhesive or a heat-activated adhesive, byspraying the seams with impermeable material like polyurea, or using anyother suitable joining technique. The end result of this process can bea single-piece impermeable floor 104. It should be noted, however, thatthe floor 104 may be assembled or otherwise formed in any other suitablemanner, including formation on-site (where the containment system 100 isbeing assembled).

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the floor 104 with the edge portions 108 extendingfrom two sides of the floor 104. Also shown in FIG. 7 is a cornerportion 701 that connects two edge portions 108. When the containmentsystem 100 is installed and the edge portions 108 are folded up and overthe corresponding walls 106 a-106 d, the corner portion 701 is broughtinto an upright position. The corner portion 701 provides anuninterrupted barrier at each corner of the containment system 100, thuspreventing any leakage at the corners of the containment system 100.

FIG. 8 illustrates multiple wall sections 110 in the factory, warehouse,or other off-site location. Each containment system 100 includesmultiple wall sections 110, which can typically be of uniform height andwidth. For example, the height and width of the wall sections 110 can beselected based on the desired final size of the containment system 100and the amount of material that will be stored within the footprint ofthe installed containment system 100. As a particular example, a largerheight and a larger width might be selected for a containment system 100that surrounds multiple large storage tanks holding thousands of gallonsof hazardous material, while a smaller height and a smaller width mightbe selected for a containment system that surrounds a single tankholding hundreds of gallons of material.

As shown in FIG. 8, the lengths of the wall sections 110 may be uniformor non-uniform for a particular storage containment system 100.Depending on the desired final length and width of the containmentsystem, the wall sections 110 might include multiple wall sections 110of a standard length and one or more wall sections 110 of a remainderlength. For example, if the storage containment system 100 has a desiredfinal length of 49 feet, one or more walls 106 a-106 d might each beformed of four ten-foot wall sections 110 and one nine-foot wall section110, or one or more walls 106 a-106 d might each be formed of sevenseven-foot wall sections 110. Because the wall sections 110 are formedof lightweight foam or other lightweight but rigid and strong material,the wall sections 110 can be easily machined or otherwise trimmed intoany desired height, width, and length.

FIG. 9 illustrates one instance of an assembled bracket 112 andcomponents 902-906 that form another instance of a bracket 112. As shownin this example, each bracket 112 includes two U-shaped bars 902 thatare connected at the top by a cross bar 904. In some embodiments, theU-shaped bars 902 and the cross bar 904 are formed of metal, such asrebar. In other embodiments, the U-shaped bars 902 and/or the cross bar904 may be formed of other materials, such as aluminum or rigid plastic.Each bracket 112 also includes two plates 906 disposed at the bottom ofthe two U-shaped bars 902. The plates 906 can be formed of a rigidmaterial, such as metal, plastic, or wood. In some embodiments, theplates 906 are formed of steel or aluminum channel tubing that has arectangular cross-section. Once assembled, each bracket 112 can bepainted, powder coated, or otherwise coated for aesthetic reasons or toprotect the bracket 112 from environmental conditions. Note that the useof two bars 902, a single cross bar 902, and two plates 906 are forillustration only. Each bracket 112 could have a single bar 902 or morethan two bars 902, could omit the cross bar 902 or include more than onecross bar 902, and/or could include more than two plates 906.

It should be noted that the exact shape of each bracket 112 can varybased on the design of the walls 106 a-106 d to be used with thebrackets 112. For example, when the wall sections 110 are formed asrectangular prisms, the bars 902 of the brackets 112 can be U-shaped orhave a similar shape to fit around the rectangular prisms. If the wallsections 110 have a different cross-sectional shape, the bars 902 of thebrackets 112 can have a complementary shape in order to fit snuglyagainst the wall sections 110. Also, the top of each bracket 112 here isgenerally orthogonal to the sides of that bracket 112, although againthis is not required and can vary based on the cross-sectional shape ofthe wall sections 110.

FIG. 10 illustrates a test assembly of the containment system 100 in thefactory, warehouse, or other off-site location before the containmentsystem 100 is packaged for transport to an intended installation site.As shown in FIG. 10, a worker positions one of the brackets 112 on oneof the walls 106 a-106 d. Such a test assembly can be performed toensure that all of the components are present and assemble together inan expected manner. Once the test assembly is complete, the containmentsystem 100 can be disassembled and packaged for shipment. Of course, thetest assembly of the containment system 100 is not required, and thecontainment system 100 can simply be manufactured and then packaged forshipment. FIG. 11 shows the prepared (cut) floor 104 being folded at thefactory, warehouse, or other off-site location, and FIG. 12 showsworkers rolling a folded floor 104 onto a spool 1201 for easy transportto an intended installation site. FIG. 13 shows multiple wall sections110 stacked together for transport. Again, however,

Although FIGS. 6 through 13 illustrate portions of the containmentsystem 100 in various stages of manufacture, various changes may be madeto FIGS. 6 through 13. For example, various possible alternativefabrication techniques have been noted above, such as the formation ofthe floor 104 or the trimming of the wall sections 110 on-site. Also,the various components of the containment system 100 can be formed,packaged, and assembled in any suitable manner, and the specifictechniques shown in FIGS. 6 through 13 are for illustration only.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example method 1400 for forming a containmentsystem in accordance with this disclosure. For ease of explanation, themethod 1400 is described as involving the formation of the containmentsystem 100 shown in FIGS. 1 through 13. However, the method 1400 mayinvolve the formation of any other containment system designed inaccordance with the teachings of this disclosure.

At step 1401, a floor is formed from one or more pieces of animpermeable material. As noted above, the floor 104 can be formedoff-site or on-site, and the floor 104 can be formed by cutting a singlelarger piece of flooring material or by joining multiple pieces offlooring material. The floor 104 is formed to have multiple edgeportions 108, where each edge portion 108 corresponds to one edge of thefloor 104. In some embodiments, the floor 104 is formed of polyurea or apolyurea-coated fabric. Also, in some embodiments, the floor 104 can betrimmed to form a corner portion 701 at each corner, where each cornerportion 701 is configured to connect adjacent edge portions 108.

At step 1403, multiple wall sections are obtained and trimmed orotherwise formed such that the wall sections can be used to formmultiple free-standing walls around a perimeter of the floor. Again, asnoted above, the wall sections 110 can be formed off-site or on-site. Insome embodiments, each of the wall sections 110 can be formed by formingwall material to a desired length or by cutting wall material to thedesired length. Each of the walls 106 a-106 b corresponds to one of theedge portions 108 of the floor 104. In particular embodiments, the wallsections 110 have a shape of a rectangular prism and are formed of arigid polyurea foam. Also, in particular embodiments, each wall section110 has a height of approximately twenty inches and a width ofapproximately twelve inches.

At step 1405, multiple brackets are formed. Each bracket 112 isconfigured to fit over one of the multiple walls 106 a-106 d after thecorresponding edge portion 108 of the floor 104 is draped over the wall106 a-106 d. Each bracket 112 can be configured to fit tightly againstsides of the wall 106 a-106 d so as to hold the corresponding edgeportion 108 firmly in place. In some embodiments, each bracket 112 isformed out of rebar and channel tubing. Also, in some embodiments, eachbracket 112 includes first and second plates 906 connected usingmultiple U-shaped bars 902, and the bars 902 may be connected to oneanother using a cross bar 904. In particular embodiments, the first andsecond plates 906 are formed using channel tubing, and the bars 902 andcross bar 904 are formed using rebar.

At step 1407, the floor 104 is installed on-site at an intendedinstallment location. This can include the floor 104 being unfolded orunrolled and spread out on a flat surface, such as the ground. Edgeportions 108 on all but one edge of the floor 104 can be folded backonto the top surface of the floor 104.

At step 1409, multiple walls 106 b-106 d are assembled by positioningwall sections 110 end to end around a perimeter of the floor 104, suchas shown in FIG. 2. At least one wall 106 a remains unformed during thisstep to allow material to be placed on the floor 104.

At step 1411, the edge portions 108 are draped over the walls 106 b-106d to form an impermeable transition from the floor 104 to the walls 106b-106 d, and brackets 112 are installed over each of the walls 106 b-106d to secure the edge portions 108 in place, such as shown in FIG. 4.

At step 1413, one or more storage containers 102 or other structures areplaced within the containment system 100. For example, one or morestorage containers 102 can be moved onto the floor 104 of thecontainment system 100 using a truck, although any number of storagecontainers 102 may be placed onto the floor 104 in any suitable manner(either using people or machinery).

At step 1415, the remaining wall 106 a is assembled by positioning wallsections 110 end to end, edge portions 108 are draped over the wall 106a, and brackets 112 are installed over the wall 106 a to secure the edgeportions 108. The assembled containment system 100 includes a floor andwalls that include a single continuous impermeable shield, thusproviding an impermeable containment system for the material(s) storedin the containers 102.

Although FIG. 14 illustrates one example of a method 1400 for forming acontainment system 100, various changes may be made to FIG. 14. Forexample, while shown as a series of steps, various steps in FIG. 14could overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or occurany number of times. Also, while the use of certain materials (such aspolyurea and rebar) is described above, any other suitable materials canbe used to form the containment system 100.

It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words andphrases that have been used within this patent document. The terms“include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusionwithout limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. Thephrase “associated with” and derivatives thereof may mean to include, beincluded within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within,connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperatewith, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have,have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like.

While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generallyassociated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodimentsand methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly,the above description of example embodiments does not define orconstrain this invention. Other changes, substitutions, and alterationsare also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a floor comprising animpermeable material, the floor having multiple edge portions, each ofthe edge portions corresponding to one edge of the floor; multiple wallsections configured to form multiple free-standing walls around aperimeter of the floor, each of the walls corresponding to one of theedge portions; and multiple brackets, each of the brackets configured tofit over an associated one of the walls after the corresponding edgeportion of the floor is draped over the associated wall, each of thebrackets configured to fit against sides of the associated wall so as tohold the corresponding edge portion in place; wherein each of thebrackets comprises (i) first and second plates formed of channel tubingand (ii) multiple U-shaped bars connecting the first and second platesand formed of rebar.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of thebrackets is sized such that, once installed over the associated one ofthe walls, the first and second plates of the bracket are positioned atapproximately one-half of a height of the associated wall.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein, for each of at least one of the bracketsthe U-shaped bars of the bracket are connected together with at leastone cross bar.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, for each of atleast one of the brackets, the at least one cross bar of the bracket isformed of rebar.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of thebrackets has a painted or powder-coated finish.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein each of the wall sections has a rectangular prism shapeand comprises rigid polyurea foam.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, whereineach of the wall sections has a height of approximately twelve toeighteen inches and a width of approximately twelve inches.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the floor includes a corner portion ateach corner, each corner portion configured to connect two adjacent edgeportions.
 9. A method comprising: forming a floor comprising animpermeable material, the floor having multiple edge portions, each ofthe edge portions corresponding to one edge of the floor; formingmultiple free-standing walls around a perimeter of the floor usingmultiple wall sections, each of the walls corresponding to one of theedge portions; and forming multiple brackets, each of the bracketsconfigured to fit over an associated one of the walls after thecorresponding edge portion of the floor is draped over the associatedwall, each of the brackets configured to fit against sides of theassociated wall so as to hold the corresponding edge portion in place;wherein each of the brackets comprises (i) first and second platesformed of channel tubing and (ii) multiple U-shaped bars connecting thefirst and second plates and formed of rebar.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein forming the multiple brackets comprises forming each of thebrackets using the rebar and the channel tubing.
 11. The method of claim9, wherein forming the multiple brackets comprises, for each of thebrackets, connecting the first and second plates of the bracket usingthe multiple U-shaped bars of the bracket.
 12. The method of claim 9,wherein forming the multiple brackets comprises, for each of thebrackets, connecting the multiple U-shaped bars of the bracket togetherwith at least one cross bar.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein formingthe floor comprises forming a corner portion at each corner of thefloor, each corner portion configured to connect two adjacent edgeportions.
 14. A method comprising: installing a floor of a containmentsystem at a location for storing hazardous material, the floorcomprising an impermeable material, the floor having multiple edgeportions; assembling multiple free-standing walls of the containmentsystem around a perimeter of the floor, each of the walls correspondingto one of the edge portions; draping the edge portions over thecorresponding walls and installing multiple brackets over the walls,each of the brackets configured to fit against sides of an associatedone of the walls so as to hold the corresponding edge portion in place;placing one or more containers of the hazardous material within thecontainment system and over the floor; and assembling a remaining wallof the containment system; wherein each of the brackets comprises (i)first and second plates formed of channel tubing and (ii) multipleU-shaped bars connecting the first and second plates and formed ofrebar.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the brackets is sizedsuch that, once installed over the associated one of the walls, thefirst and second plates of the bracket are positioned at approximatelyone-half of a height of the associated wall.
 16. The method of claim 14,wherein, for each of at least one of the brackets, the U-shaped bars ofthe bracket are connected together with at least one cross bar.
 17. Themethod of claim 14, wherein each of the brackets has a painted orpowder-coated finish.
 18. The method of claim 14, wherein thefree-standing walls are assembled using multiple wall sections, each ofthe wall sections having a rectangular prism shape and comprising rigidpolyurea foam.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the wallsections has a height of approximately twelve to eighteen inches and awidth of approximately twelve inches.
 20. The method of claim 14,wherein the floor includes a corner portion at each corner, each cornerportion configured to connect two adjacent edge portions.